I recently had the opportunity, as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers, to receive a copy of a never before published book by Margaret Wise Brown. Most of you are probably familiar with this author, who wrote many children’s classics such as Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny.
The new book is called The Moon Shines Down, and it was discovered in an old cedar trunk many years after Brown’s death. It was finished for publication by children’s book publisher Laura Minchew and is beautifully illustrated by Linda Bleck.
I found the book to be utterly captivating, drawing you in through the charming rhymes and vivid drawings as it takes you on a trip around the world. In each country you visit, the children are shown playing or sleeping beneath the moon; except in the Far East, where it is daytime and the children are on their way to school.
Of course, the real test was whether my son would like it. Although he seemed to feel it was a bit long, he really enjoyed seeing which animals and scenery would be pictured for each of the different countries, as well as commenting on how the people were dressed. He also liked the adorable koala that leads you through the book until finally falling asleep himself on the last page!
The refrain on the last page sums up the message of the book, which is based on an old children’s prayer:
I see the Moon
And the Moon sees me.
God bless the Moon
And God bless me.
A nice reminder that God sees us all and we are all connected. And who doesn’t need that?
